Mealtime: Hungarian Comfort Food at Tulip

I have a good friend on my program that is from Budapest, Hungary. She frequents a restaurant called Tulip on Yehuda HaLevi that specializes in traditional Hungarian cuisine. That means soups, goulash, schnitzel, Hungarian pancakes,and a plethora of sweet desserts. She invited a few of us to accompany her for a Hungarian dinner at Tulip. Before eating at Tulip, I knew that Hungarian cuisine was very simple, and wholesome. Very similar to the other cuisines of Central Europe. I knew the national seasoning of choice was paprika, and it was used in Magyar(Hungarian) favorites such as goulash and chicken paprikash. When I looked at the menu I knew that I could judge the restaurant by how they made the signature dish of Hungary, goulash. Goulash, is usually stewed beef in a sauce featuring a lot of paprika. Tulip serves their goulash two ways. One way is in a soup with potatoes and spetzle. The other way is in a stew with a side of spetzle. I decided to have the stew version of the dish. My friend had the soup version alongside with toast points and whipped cheese with paprika. Both versions were delicious and you could taste the paprika in both dishes. The meat was tender as could be which is crucial to a good goulash. The spetzle were great as a side dish to soak up all of the leftover sauce. For dessert there was a stuffed crepe topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. There was another dessert that was a cinnamon and nut cake topped with the same chocolate sauce and whipped cream. The entire experience at Tulip was fun, casual, and relaxed. There was not a lot of people around which made the experience that much more enjoyable because we could take our time eating the delicious food being served to us. It also helped that our friend new the owners which made the experience worthwhile. If you are looking for traditional Hungarian cuisine in Tel Aviv, Tulip is your best bet. Delicious food, quaint atmosphere, and available outdoor seating makes Tulip worthwhile checking out. Enjoy!